Memory Lane
by BeneaththeWillows
Summary: When Agent Margaret Carter wakes up on an odd island inhabited by female warriors of legend, her first thought is to run back to the normalcy and safety of New York. But memories and trapped, she instead finds herself chasing down myths and a woman who left the island years ago in hopes of saving all she holds dear.
1. Chapter 1

On a deserted beach on an uncharted island, Agent Margaret Carter's brown eyes fluttered open. She wiped some of her brunette hair out of her face and felt the sand tumble onto her eyelids. She kept her hand in front of her face, creating a shadow of protection from the unobstructed sun.

Peggy groaned as the air filled her lungs. It felt like every bone in her body was broken. She coughed instinctively, breathing harder as she heaved herself up, propping herself on her elbows. In front of her, the perfect, teal blue ocean stretched out seemingly forever with large, column-like islands that stood out on the horizon.

Where am I? She thought. How had she gotten here? Peggy had no idea. The last thing she remembered was... why was it all so fuzzy? - was Agent Sousa's lips and the feeling of his hands as they caressed her body, pulling her closer to him.

She looked down. Her dress was torn and tattered. Whatever its original colour had been, there was no indication now. It was coated in blood that had dried and crusted over in the heat of the sun. She pulled up her dress, examined her leg while grunting because of the aches and pains. It wasn't broken, but there were bruises lining the whole thing. She sighed, assuming her whole body was similar.

Thoughts raced through her head. Who did it? Was it Dotty Underwood? She hoped it was Dotty Underwood. Then she could kick her butt when she got back.

If she got back.

For the first time, Peggy looked behind. She was trapped, it seemed, by a large, lustrous cliff.

She had to get out of the sun. Her mouth was dry and she was barely salivating. Peggy groaned again as she turned onto her stomach, digging her elbow into the sand. She pulled herself across the beach, ignoring the vile that rose in the throat as pain shot through her entire body.

"You can do this, Peggy," she muttered to herself. "You can do this." She just had to get out of the elements, heal and get rescued. No problem. The SSR would be looking for her. She just had to help them find her. And quickly. After seventy-two hours they would not be trying to rescue her anymore. After seventy-two hours they would be doing a body recovery. So she had three days, at the most. Less, most likely, for she had not an inkling of how long she had spent laying in the sun unconscious. It could have been a day or just a few hours. Either way, a plane would be coming around and she needed to signal it.

She tried to get her feet under her, to stand. She swore to herself. All her life there were people trying to help her because they thought she could not help herself, and the moment she could use a bit of assistance, no one was there. Actually, she was glad no one from the station was here. They'd never let her forget it.

Do not look back. She told herself, trying to bury the impulse to look back at the water. She knew she hadn't gotten far, the mountains were still far off, but she couldn't discourage herself. She was going to get there.

When she got there the sun had shifted in the sky and the cliff now provided shade across half the beach. Peggy leaned against the cool rocks, sighing as she let her aching body rest. She looked around, there had to be a way up.

Indents in the sand caught her eye. Footprints! There were others here. They were old but still visible. Peggy patted down her body, smiling when she hit metal. She pulled out her gun, at least she had it. She opened the barrel. Three shots.

That wasn't reassuring. She slipped the gun back into its concealed area in her dress. Her head was spinning now and her lips were cracked. There were black dots floating about in the corners of her eyes.

She turned to the rock bed. There was a narrow trail, well-traversed, leading all the way up. Peggy rubbed her eyes. She could feel the energy leaving her as thoughts swirled in her mind. What if someone came down while she was climbing up? What if they were hostile? Could she even make it up? Her lower lip quivered. Peggy couldn't see the top. It was a long, hot climb and she could barely get herself across a beach. She had no hope of reaching the top and no idea what awaited her there.

Do you want to give up? A voice told her. Weak, it called her. A failure. All those brains couldn't save from the sun. If she was a man, maybe she wouldn't even be here.

"Shut up!" She hollered, covering her ear with her hands and shaking her head.

"You can do this, Peggy." She muttered, using the cliffside as a support as she struggles to her feet. Just one foot in front of the other. Left, right. Left, right. Just like the soldiers used to chant when the war was still on.

Changing to herself, Peggy staggered for a second before her feet began to move. One foot in front of the other, using the rocks as support, Agent Carter grinded her teeth as she started to scale the mountain.


	2. Chapter 2

Peggy rolled over the side of the cliff. She laid sprawled out on the lush grass, chest fluttering as she took short, quick breaths. She'd made it. Now what? There was no shelter up here, but at least she was off the beach. No one was around, but that might not last long. She needed to find her bearings before whoever lived here found here.

* * *

Diana Prince awoke to the sound of a bird hitting her window. She pulled herself pit of her small London bed and crawled over to the only window in her one-room apartment.

A white dove cocked its head at her.

"I know you." She said as she opened the latches, letting the crisp might breeze in along with the smoke and city smells. The white dove jumped in, ruffling its perfect feathers.

Diana extended her index finger and the bird jumped on it. She examined its little yellow legs. Upon one there was a note, tied with an all-to-familiar string made of horse hair. Dare she open it? It had been nearly thirty years. Perhaps her mother was willing to take her back. Or maybe she had heard of her daughter's great fail. If she couldn't even stop the second war by killing Ares, why the would the Amazons ever want her back?

Mustering her courage, Diana untied the string and slipped the message off the bird's leg. It stretched out its wings and flew back out her window, relieved of its duty as a messenger.

Slowly, Diana unfolded the slip of paper. It crinkled as she did it, releasing smells of home.

 _Diana - dearest_ , it read, we need your help. _An "Agent Carter" causing problems. Maybe you can help her home. Hippolyta_

Diana blinked. Agent Carter? She knew that name. Peggy Carter was that girl Captain America had liked, but also an outstanding codebreaker in her own right. What had happened was sad, but the mortals deserved it for trying to play God.

But it wasn't only that. Margaret Carter's face was on every lamppost from London to Washington and beyond for the past few months. So much so that Diana had almost thought to consider helping. No one knew what happened to her and a man at the head of a government agency in Los Angeles was doing his level best to tear apart the world brick by brick to find her. Probably because he thought she was attractive. As much credit as Carter got for her efforts in the war, Diana had heard little of her until she disappeared, suggesting whatever she was up to was putting her high on lists of people deserving recognition.

Diana sighed. It was late and she was not thinking straight. She turned off her light and went back to her bed. She could make up her mind in the morning, after a proper nights' sleep. Besides, the thought of having to go back to work looming over her might just give her the push she needs to go back home. Wasn't that a lovely thought?

* * *

Agent Carter had found the civilization. Carved into the rocks it was white and shinning. Women walked around dawning medieval weapons on cobblestone streets were dressed shockingly revealing. Armadillos roamed freely. This was a strange place.

Carter had been hoping to borrow some sort of cape or overcoat to hide herself, but all the could find were white dresses, all to revealing, laced around metal armour. Her bruises would stick out like a sore thumb.

Who was she kidding? She was one gigantic, swelling sore thumb.

Instead, Peggy found herself stealing some water, food, and herbs she thought might have some medical properties in the dark of the night. She found an abandoned cave on the other side of the island that she made her new home in. She had a collection of dry leaves, ready to be lit at a moment's notice, but so far she had seen no planes nor boats passing by. It seemed she truly was on the edge of the world.

Every day, Peggy carved a notch into the cave wall, counting the days she had been stranded. She sighed as she made the fourth mark, marking the start of her fourth day. If anyone was coming, they would have come by now. It was well past the seventy-two-hour mark. No one was looking for Agent Carter anymore. They were looking for a dead body in some alleyway or stream to be mourned. Depending on how she'd disappeared, some might call her martyr or a patriot. Possibly a traitor if she'd been acting without the SSR again.

It was not until her twenty-first day that she contemplated giving the SSR a cadaver to find. Three weeks had passed, her wounds were healing, but three weeks had passed. No one had come. Peggy sat in the cave, on the cot she had made for herself, wondering what she was doing here and why she bothered staying.

The tribe seemed hostile, primitive even, with no technology in sight. It was possible this island had never even been mapped and these people had survived on their own. That was until she noticed that there were no men or children on the island. Either she was going mad or this place was truly something out of legend. Either way, Agent Carter had had enough of the island. She stood on the cliff's edge near her cave, the wind rustling her chestnut hair, which had grown unchecked and was now well past her shoulders. She closed her eyes and spread out her arms, taking in the scents of the world one last time. She lifted one foot up and dangled it over the edge.

I'll meet you soon, Steve. She thought into the wind. And I'm sorry Sousa. I'm so sorry.

But as she leaned forward with a reunion with Steve on her mind, ready to jump onto the rocks below, a hand shot out from behind her and grabbed her arm.


	3. Chapter 3

Peggy felt the hand on her arm. She turned on her heel, grabbing the stranger and pinning her to the ground. It was one of the island inhabitants. She wrestled with Peggy, flipping the Agent on her back. Peggy kicked the woman's leg and struggled out from underneath her. Both women stood.

Peggy grabbed her gun. "One more step and I'll shoot!" She hollered above the wind. The tribeswoman froze. Good, she knew what a gun was and Peggy was not sure she wanted to waste a bullet on this woman. Peggy took a few calming breaths. Her hands weren't visibly shaking but the gun felt heavy, almost unnatural, in her grip.

"Our queen, Hippolyta, wishes to speak with you." The tribeswoman said. Peggy did not lower her weapon nor her threatening gaze. "It is not often there are newcomers here."

"Where is here?" Peggy asked.

"This is Themysicra." Said the tribeswoman, spreading her arms out wide and taking a few steps back. Don't shoot, don't shoot, Peggy said to herself, her heart racing with every step the stranger took.

"I've never heard of it." The distance between them increased, but Peggy felt no less at ease. She knew the feel of a trained fighter. Like Dorothy Underwood, this girl had been training her entire life to be a soldier, a weapon for her government. Matriarchy, she corrected herself. But it did not matter.

"Zeus gifted it to us so that we may live in peace, training until the day that the world needs us once more."

Textbook crazy, alright then. Peggy thought. "Then why haven't I heard of you? There were two wars and a genocide in the past fifty years!" People I loved sacrificed themselves to save others. Steve, her brother. They were all gone and not coming back. "Are you waiting for the Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table to lead you into battle? Because from where I'm standing, Armageddon has already happened, and no mythical warriors came to our aid."

The woman looked slightly shocked. "It must be fun playing pretend," Peggy started, wiping tears from her eyes, "while real men and women put their lives on the line and die to free their countries."

Peggy would have smile triumphantly if she wasn't dying inside. It was like losing them all over again. Her knees felt weak and her head was spinning. She straightened her posture, trying to keep her intimidating stature. She was not going to break for some lunatic from a deserted island.

Maybe it was something they ate? She thought in horror. Some fruit from the island that gave them this delusion. That would explain why she was getting the feeling that they could have done something, something that might have saved her brother and stopped Steve from ever having to sacrifice himself. And she'd been stealing their food, eating it because they did. Now she was gaining whatever messed up beliefs they had.

"We were under the impression that there was only one war," said the tribeswoman. "And our best warrior defected to deal with it. Diana. Do you know her?"

Peggy shook her head.

"So she failed then," the tribeswoman lamented. "Come, we must tell this to Queen Hippolyta. She would like to hear news of her daughter."

Peggy shook her head. "I am not going anywhere with you." She stated, firmly grounding her feet in the grass. The warrior moved forwards but Peggy shook her gun. "No closer." She said and the woman took a step back.

"You do not trust me," she said.

"No," Peggy replied, "I do not. And I don't want any part on this. Tell me how to leave and I will gladly go."

"Jumping off the cliff won't get you out of here." She said.

"Yes, but it will take me back to my brother. And that idiot of a man Captain America. At least I'll be with them."

The warrior stated at Peggy in confusion. "Brother?" She asked

"He died in the war, early in the war. I joined the SOE that day."

"No," she said, "what is Brother?"

Peggy blinked. This woman couldn't be serious. "I have not heard this term in English." She said.

"It's my brother. My mother's son." Peggy muttered, baffled. "A sister who is male."

"Oh." Said the tribeswoman. "We did not learn that one." She frowned.

This is insane. Peggy thought, turning to leave.

"Wait," the tribeswoman called. "You cannot go, you must meet Hippolyta."

"And if I don't want to?" Agent Carter challenged. What would they do? Kill her? Imprison her? She was already in a prison and she had just been ready to jump off a cliff. There was nothing they could threaten her with.

"You must," she said, her voice going deep. It was timed perfectly with the clouds it seemed, for the ground grew dark for a moment. "You have had the three weeks to yourself. Now you must come."

Peggy sighed. She could see there was no way she was getting out of this. And maybe this Hippolyta person could help her off the island or at least explain to her what had happened. Besides, it wasn't like anything could get any worse. If she played this right. The tribeswoman seemed dull enough, maybe it would be easy to fool them.

Peggy followed her guide through the streets of the town. In broad daylight, they were a spectacle. The inhabitants moved out of her way but otherwise ignored her existence, chatting in a slew of languages. English, French, Greek and Russain and more languages that she could not name. Peggy kept her head down.

She was lead into the large building at the center of the settlement. It was lavish, reminding her of the temples in Greece and carved with illustrations of superhumans and gods. They walked down a gold carpet into a room with three spiral thrones and past long lines of islanders, standing at attention facing their queen.

The woman on the platform, the Queen Hippolyta, Peggy assumed, had her back towards the agent. She was removing something from a small wooden box.

"Kneel." Said someone beside her. Peggy jumped, looking to her left. A warrior had slipped beside her undetected and now put a firm hand on her shoulder. "Kneel before the queen."

Peggy did as she was told. The Queen walked up to her with a golden cord in hand. "This is the rope of Hestia, it compels you to tell the truth." The Queen said as she wound it around Peggy. The rope began to glow.

"Who are you?" The Queen asked.

Peggy tried to cry out as the ropes seared her skin through her close but all said was: "Margaret Elisabeth Carter, but I'm better known as Agent Peggy Carter."


	4. Chapter 4

The rope glowed with an unnatural radiance. Her clothes weren't burning. There was no smake, no singed smell, yet it still felt as if someone was pressing hot iron against her skin while someone else pulled the air from her lungs.

Despite her best efforts, in less than a minute Agent Carter became a traitor to her country. She told them that she was an SSR agent, that she used to be a codebreaker during the war. A different war than the one that had happened thirty years ago. She had never heard of a Diana Prince. She had no idea about reports about gods. But they did not stop there. They asked about the second war, her part in it. When she mentioned the name Steve they drilled her with questions. Was his last name Trevor? No, it was Rodgers. Was there a black-haired woman with him? There had been a lot of women with him. Then who is he?

Peggy paused, biting her tongue until a metallic taste filled her mouth. "Who is he?" The Queen demanded. The rope flared.

"Captain America." She moaned, but this was not good enough. "The... the super soldier." She was going to faint if the woman jerked the rope again, she could feel herself slipping away. But something would not let her go. Maybe the rope was magic. As time went on it was making more and more sense.

"It was an experiment," she started, her mind going back to that room and he scared little boy hooked up to all those devices. "They injected him with some serum-"

"They?"

"The men at the head of the program." She leaned forward, trying to quench the feelings arising in her gut, but the woman behind her kept her straight. "They chose him because even though he had every problem imaginable, no the extent that no branch of the military would take him, he still tried to get in eight different times. And then in the field tests, he showed he had heart and brains, above everyone else. When the men tried to climb the pole to get the flag, this scrappy little boy would come along and take the pins out of the pole so that it would fall down. When we thew fake grenades at them, he used his body to cover it so that the blast wouldn't hurt as many people. He wasn't they soldier they wanted, but he was the one they needed." Salt trickled into her mouth, mixing with the blood. She wasn't just sweating, her cheeks were damp. Everyone stood silent for a moment and Peggy thanked whoever was looking over her. She took slow, deep breaths as the lasso's effects lessened.

All of a sudden they got taught again. "How did you get here?" Snarled the Queen. She had asked this several times, and time and time again, the powers of the golden rope pulled the words from Peggy's chest: "I don't remember," or "I don't know."

"And this man, do you love him?"

"He died." She replied, finally breaking into a sob. "Saving everyone." Her hands were bound by the cord, so she could not wipe away her tears as they fell down her neck, soaking her shirt. "Yes," she added, answering the question. She had no choice.

"The world of men is cruel," Hippolyta said. Her subjects murmured their agreement. "You have said so yourself. Yet you want to desperately to go back."

"Yes." They had finally broken her. "I do, I want to go home. I... I..." Nothing came, there was nothing to say. She had laid her whole of in front of them. Her mother's boyfriend, her brother's death. Steve, Agent Sousa, none of it had been spared. There was no point in fighting, not anymore. "Please send me home." She begged.

The Queen straightened, standing taller above her people. She let the rope go slack and Peggy fell to the ground. She had already been kneeling and now brought her knees closer to her, the only comfort she had.

Hippolyta addressed her people in their native language, some version of Greek. Peggy could barely hear her now, let alone understand what she was saying, but a few things got past the barriers. It was clear the Queen was using Peggy as an example, but of what, the Agent did not know.

"Up." The Queen said once she had finished her speech. "You are pitiful. Sypyte!" She called one of her warriors forth. "Clean this Peggy up." Peggy felt gentle hands help her to her feet and untie the rope. She wanted to thank them, but she had no energy left.

Sypyte walked Agent Carter out of the throne room and through the castles.

"Where are you taking me?" The Agent asked.

"To rest," the warrior replied. "Everything else can wait."

"I want to go home." She said, maybe this woman could see reason. "Please, I won't tell anyone anything. I won't, I promise."

"I believe you, but that is not the problem. Nor is in my jurisdiction." She led Peggy up a large, spiralling staircase what had no walls, only pillars, supporting it. "This will be your room for now." She said, walking Peggy inside. "We have taken your stuff from the cave, except the gun."

Peggy looked around. there was a bed, a real, actual bed. Made up with white sheets and pillows that could have been clouds. At the foot, there was a trunk. It was just like the army, only her room was private with a view overlooking the beach.

"Rest, I will come to fetch you later for supper," Sypyte said. Peggy just nodded. Sypyte sat her down on the bed and tucked her in as if she were a child, even kissing her brow.

Peggy fell into a dream as soon as she hit the pillow. She did not hear Sypyte leave or lock the thick wooden door. Peggy was falling, off the cliff, like she'd wanted to do, only the ground never came. Instead, she floated into a ballroom. She was wearing a red dress, her favourite colour. It was tight around her form, but let out at waist and flowed around her heels. She could feel her hair on her bare back and the hand of a man.

"Steve," she said as a smile arose on her lips.

"Agen Carter," he said while he bowed. "I never thought we'd get this dance."

"Oh, Steve," she muttered, pulling him close to her. The spun around in a sea of colours and smiles. It all began to blur as she stared into his eyes. "I missed you."

"I'm here now," Steve said. "This isn't so hard," he joked.

She laughed, louder than it merited. It was so good just to hear his voice. "I love you." She said quickly, in one breath before pressing her own lips to his. And I hate you for leaving me, she thought. I hate you for it with every fibre of my being, but I'll love you today.

They danced and spun in their own little bubble until sunlight penetrated the ballroom and the white walls of her room began to fill in their surroundings. With tears, she said goodbye, resting her head against his as he faded away.


	5. Chapter 5

Peggy sat on the end of her bed. There was a knock at her door. Her breath stopped. Should she answer it? Would the person go away? Footsteps entered her room.

"Sorry to disturb you," a soft voice said. Peggy looked up. The girl who walked in was younger than the other Amazons she had met. She had wisps of blonde hair and green eyes and was muscular just like the others. "Here," she said, handing Peggy a cloak.

"What's this for?" She asked, looking at the grey thing in disgust.

"We're going to see the Oracle," the girl said.

"The Oracle?" Peggy scoffed.

"You want to leave the island, right?" She asked. Peggy nodded. "Hippolyta won't send you back, even if she could. The Oracle might know a way you can get of the island."

"You are defying your queen for me?" Peggy asked.

"No," said the girl. "I am getting rid of a danger to this island. The lasso of Hestia can do more than make you tell the truth, it can make you forget. The Oracle, gods willing, will tell us how you can leave. You leave and never remember a thing." She pulled the lasso out of her bag.

"You stole it!" Peggy exclaimed, impressed.

"No," she replied, "you cannot steal what belongs to you. All Amazons have the right to defend themselves and their island. We can use the weapons at our disposal to train and, if need be, fight. It would only be stealing if I left the island and never returned."

"Why are you doing this?" She finally asked.

"People died the last time a stranger came to our shores. And our princess left to try and fix your world. Clearly, she failed." The woman said. "I lost my friends that day. I want you off Themiscyra as much as you do."

Peggy stood. "Well, you could at least tell me your name."

"Helete," the girl replied, "now put to cloak on." Peggy did as she was told. The Amazon examined Peggy's shoes. "These will make too much noise," she muttered. "And they look like some sort of torture device."

"I've done many things in heels perfectly well," Peggy replied.

Helete took the shoes from her, having the agent a disapproving gaze. "Take mine," the warrior said, pulling off her own. They were some sort of gladiator style slipper made entirely out of leather, that wrapped around her legs up to her knees. Peggy struggled to get them on. They were by far one of the most comfortable things she had ever worn, but the straps were irritating and soles seemed to thin.

They snuck out into the corridor, Helete leading the way and Peggy hidden underneath the brown cloak. They walked through the streets unquestioned. People waved and called to Helete and she waved them off. It was a normal day in Themyscira.

They walked to a lush green plain. Helete whistled. Thunder, or so it sounded, answered and the wind blew the grass. "Easy girl," Helete said into the wind, stretching out her arm as if to stroke a horse. "Get on." She said to Peggy.

"Get on what?" The agent asked.

"The horse," replied the Amazon, clearly unamused.

"I don't see anything." The warrior grabbed Peggy's arm and brought her close to the invisible thing. Her palm made contact with it. Suddenly, the horse appeared before her.

"Up," the Amazon said with a smirk. "No one will be able to see us if we touch her mane."

"This is amazing!" Peggy cried when she had mounted. The sheer power of the horse below her was overwhelming, and they were only trotting. Helete sat behind her, keeping her steady with her muscular arms.

"We are invisible," she said, "others can still hear us."

"Oh shut up." Agent Carter grumbled. This was by far the coolest adventure she had ever been on, the things she had dreamed of as a little girl. Suddenly, everything was possible. Maybe she could one day slay a dragon. Maybe she could go on adventures with people who would treat her as an equal, fantastical, magical adventures. She would have nothing to prove, no boys with moonie eyes to worry about. No insufferable superior officer. Just freedom to be strong, to be-

The horse stopped galloping. Helete dismounted, gracefully and with elegance. Peggy slipped off with her aid.

"Here we are," Helete said. "This is the entrance to the Oracle's cave.

Peggy stared down the tunnel. Never in her life had she been so afraid. She prayed in vain that the Amazon could not feel her trembling under the strong hand she was keeping on the Agent's shoulder. The cave was black, not just dark, but black with a blue light emitting from the center.

The Amazing pushed Peggy forwards. "Let's go." She said, her voice unwavering. If Helete wasn't worried, perhaps there was no reason to be, Peggy reasoned. The Amazon knew the way, she had probably been here many times before. There was no danger, Peggy told herself, no reason to tremble or worry for her life. She was safe, she thought as the warrior let her into the darkness. She was safe.


	6. Chapter 6

Diana removed her sandals. The sun was just peaking over the horizon. The Thames was free of boats. She dipped her feet into the water and closed her eyes. The water wasn't clean, it reeked, actually, but nothing was clean when she compared it to Themyscira. The note had been short, but what was she expecting? A long-winded letter? A bird could not carry that.

Why had she slept that night as she left her paradise island? She should have been studying the stars. Now, as Diana looked up at the sky, she could see that is was different, but she did not know where to go. The bird had found her. She should be able to find her way across the ocean.

The island was calling to Diana. There was a tingle in her breast, making her miss home and the security of it all. She missed going to bed with her muscles burning and sweat collected on her hairline. There was no downside to going back there. She could wear liberating clothes again and carry her sword. Diana clenched her fists. Her sword had been an extension of her body. This place had cut off her limbs as the society could not accept her carrying one.

She took a deep breath and walked out into the water. How far could she swim? Did it matter? Diana never doubted in her ability, if she wanted to, she could swim to Themyscira. No one could stop her. No one would stop her. She was up to her knees, still staring at the stars.

London needs me not, she thought. For she had not dawned her armour and lasso since Steve died. She carried them with her now, in a bag. She would return them to the armoury upon arrival and take whatever punishment her mother deemed worthy. Then she would build up trust amongst her sisters. Eventually, it would be like she had never left, but first, she had Agent Carter to deal with. The best course of action would be to place the girl on a boat and send her back to London. Everyone was looking for her, she would find home safely. Diana was sure of this.

A horn blew in the distance. She had to leave soon. Diana slung the bag over her shoulder, the metal chiming as she dove into the Thames, her heart and mind set on home.

* * *

The Oracle sat on a rocky chair. She looked a dummy from a horror house. Her head was slumped on her shoulder. She was young, it seemed.

Peggy took a cautious step forwards, but Helete grabbed her arm and kept her back. Peggy looked back at the Amazon who kneeled and motioned for Peggy to do the same. Helete raised her arms and offered something to the Oracle. Smoke filled the small cave as the oracle rose from her dormant state. Her eyes lit up blue, deep like space or a link to the gods these islanders believed in.

When the Oracle spoke, the cave trembled. She spoke in an ancient Greek dialect, but some mystical force allowed Peggy to understand.

"What is your request?" The Oracle asked as the offering was placed at her feet. Shouldn't she know what we want? Peggy wondered silently.

"We wish to know if there is a way this agent may return to her world," Helete replied.

The Oracle said nothing as the blue light emanating from her eyes began to encompass the space. Screams began to fill the chamber. It warmed as the dampness was pulled from the air. They were back on the island beach. The Amazons were fighting something or someone, but it was entirely covered in mist. In the distance, Peggy was rowing away in a boat. The vision honed in on her, then time started moving backwards. She had stolen the boat after the battle had begun. It had begun because the mist covered figure had come to the island. It had come because of her.

"There is only one certain way you will leave this island alive, Margaret Carter," said the Oracle as she extended a bony hand. "You let whatever is hunting you come to this place, and you will trap it here. Then you shall be free to leave this place and never return, for the spells protecting this island from the world of men shall be broken."

The coloured drained form Helete's face. "There is no other way? How do I save Themyscira?"

"There is only one way for Margaret Carter to leave the island. To prevent the destruction of Themyscira, prevent this thing from coming for her." The mist began to recede and the Oracle's posture fell as she returned to her dormant state.

"Wait!" Cried Helete.

As the Amazon tried to get her Oracle to stay, Peggy turned on her heel and bolted for the exit. She knew now that she would have no friends in this place.

"Thank-you for your offering," the Oracle said before the cave went dark.


	7. Chapter 7

Margaret Carter ran and ran. She did not stop. Her new shoes, she was thankful for as they allowed her mobility through the untamed grass and wildflowers. Peggy had no idea where the horse was, but she cared not. She doubted that she could rife such a beast without the Amazon's help anyway. She paused when she found herself at a cliff edge. Where would she go, who could she trust? If the Amazon shared what she knew with her people, everyone on the island would be out to kill her. She couldn't blame them. If the same threat was on London... well, she knew what she would do. What she had done.

The wind picked up and Agent Carter took a deep breath, inhaling the pure, untainted air of the paradise. She knew what she was capable of. These people, they had no clue. Their Queen hadn't asked her too much about how good she was. A few missions, Steve, that Diana. They couldn't fathom what she had done on Russia and the chaos she could cause here. A smile crept up on her, her lips twisting. This was a new world.

She turned and started to climb down the cliffside. She felt the wind blow at her hair, threatening to rip her off the rocks. But she knew she would not fall. She had spent the past month here climbing these cliffs and her muscles were toned and her fingers strong. It was getting harder and harder to deny that she was beginning to enjoy her time here. Her feet reached the sand. Now, where would she go?

Peggy looked around. She missed her cave.

No, she was going crazy. She did not miss the cave, even though it had been safe, and sort of damp. It had a nice view and no Amazons. She ran to the ocean and screamed. They would find her anyways, did it really matter when? She kicked the water and cursed the SSR and herself and whoever might be responsible for this idiotic predicament.

Peggy fell to her knees. What was wrong with her? She had trained for this type of situations. She was the best agent anyone could ask for, though her superiors were only likely to admit to for their lives.

"Over there!" She heard someone shout in the distance followed by a thunderstorm of hooves clashing against the dirt and rocks above. Peggy looked around. There was honestly nowhere to go and she did not want to be on the run forever. She would fight back, she decided. At least that way she would be going out on her own terms, fighting for what she believed in. And right now she believed in her right to fight for her life.

The hooves drew closer but they stopped some ways away. Peggy did not turn. She kept herself focused on the waved that crashed around her knees, soaking her and the mist it created. It was light and cool and everything she would have wanted on a vacation if she had ever felt inclined to take a real one.

There was mumbling behind her. The Amazons must be deciding how they were going to take her out. Her fists clenched. It was with a fight. They would take her out in a fight, she told herself over and over again., bitting her tongue to refrain from saying it aloud.

She felt a hand on her shoulder. "Miss Carter?" a young voice asked. Peggy froze. Was she imagining it?

Getting up, Peggy turned. Staring at her was a girl, maybe sixteen, with har that could only be described as orange. It fell unchecked down to her feet. How could she fight like that? Peggy wondered. Big brown eyes stared back up at her.

"Miss Carter," she said again, looking down. Was she scared o her, the agent wondered. Had the queen sent this girl in because she hopped Peggy would not attack her? The queen had been right if that was her reasoning. Peggy took a deep breath. She wasn't going to attack this child unless the child became a threat. Then she would take her out as she had every other threat. And most likely, feel horrible about it.

She reached out her hand, tilting her head to the side as she did so. Carter blinked. Shyly, she took the little girl's hand. They walked towards the Amazons and then weaved through their horses. No one tried to stop them. They continued to talk amongst themselves, looking out to where she had been standing. Peggy followed her gaze. She saw her body, or at least she thought she did, still kneeling hopelessly by the clear blue ocean.

She looked back at the girl. "Who are you?" the agent asked. The girl paid no attention to her. they continued to walk across the island, and then the girl led her across the sea. They walked without growing hungry nor tired. They walked until she could see the London skyline.

"What is going on?" She demanded, trying t pull her hand free from her guide's.

"We are helping you," the redhead said. "We are answering your questions."

But then the world began to shake and the girl faded. Peggy could almost feel the grit of London before she was pulled away from it.

She was back in the cave, the Amazons all around her. Peggy crawled backwards.

"What did you see?" One demanded. She looked strangely like Helete but something was missing.

"Answer her," the queen ordered, "or I will use the lasso of Hestia again."


	8. Chapter 8

Peggy stuttered as her eyes hoped form face to face. All were grim and cold. She looked for the young girl she had seen before, or a hint of Helete, just someone friendly, but there were none to be found. The cave seemed to be pulsing, or maybe it was just the blood in her, making it's way speedily through her body and she was only just noticing it.

"Speak insolent mortal!" The Queen boomed. Some of the Amazons looked from their queen to Peggy in pity. She wondered how many had been in her position before, or if they were just picking up on her fear.

Peggy tried to arrange her thoughts. What would she say? That she had been dragged her in a dream? If Helete was real, she did not want to get the warrior in trouble. Helete had at least tried to show the Agent some kindness. Peggy's feet scraped the rocks. She looked down. Gladiator sandals, not her proper heels. Mayhap some of it was true.

"I was on a horse, except I could not see it," she started, "and then in a cave. And there was a battle... on the beach." She pronounced each word slowly, studying the queen's face for some sort of reaction.

"A battle?" Hyppolyta echoed. Peggy nodded in silence. She tried to straighten herself up against the rock wall, no longer wishing to be in the same position she had presumably fainted in.

"On the beach," she repeated.

"You already said that," the Queen told her, "what else?"

"Umm... I was on a boat," she said, "and there was this guy... um, I don't know. He was covered in mist, I couldn't see his face."

"You could not see his face?"

"Yes," she said solemnly. There was nothing else to say. The Queen looked around sternly to her fellow Amazons. They had a short discussion amongst themselves before she turned back to the Agent. "Is there anything else you wish to tell us willingly?"

"No," Agent Carter said instantly, without a thought. She shook her head as she spoke and smiled charmingly. She could not tell if they were buying it, but Hippolyta did not press her any further.

"Up," the warrior queen said, grabbing her arm near her shoulder and pulling her off the cave floor. Peggy stumbled to her feet and fell in behind the queen and her warriors as they left the Oracle's cave.

She was brought back to the town and led into a house near the palace.

"You can stay here," the queen said. "We have brought the few things you had at the cave here, except for your gun. That you will not get back. You will participate in Amazon society. There is no way back, you must accept that, Miss Carter. This is your home now, and thank the gods for it. I doubt your life off the island was as good as you make it up to be. Here you will find kinship and a purpose."

"I had a purpose," she said quietly.

"Perhaps while the war was on, but you told us yourself that you are no better than a secretary in the eyes of your boss. Here, you will have the opportunity to be as good as you can be. Respect and honour are earned." Hippolyta turned and left and most of the warriors followed suit. Two stayed behind.

"We have to make sure you won't try anything stupid," one said as she took a post outside Peggy's door. The other just nodded.

Peggy walked into her new house. House. She had never had one all to herself before. Not an apartment, no roommate. No crazy rules, no Jarvis security system.

No Jarvis. She sat down on one of the sofas and rested her head in her hands. Agent CarterPeggy wept. "Jarvis, where are you when I need you?" She whispered into the air with a heavy chest. He was always ready except for when she needed him. Peggy wondered how Ana was. And Sousa, how was Sousa? He probably thought she was dead by now. Everyone thought she was dead. She sighed, stood up, and paced over to the window. She had a nice view, at least. Peggy closed the white curtains. They kept out the view, but not the sun. She sighed and ran her hands through her brown hair.

She wandered around the house. She had a kitchen, with a wood stove, and running water that flowed from a pump. Her bathroom was just as unimpressive.

"I miss civilization," she muttered. "And plumbing. I miss good old English plumbing," she said as she stared at the tub meant to serve at her bath. Could it get any worse?

Her bed was an improvement. The room was the entire second floor, with spiralled stairs with a gold railing. It was soft and large. So large, she could probably get lost in it. There was a basket of fruit by the bedside. Peggy grabbed an apple and sat on the foot, contemplating. As she chewed, she walked over to a wooden chest in the corner. Everything from the caves was there. the few things she'd stolen her original dress. Peggy took it out.

She walked back down the stairs, pumped water from the tap, then boiled it. Then she went to work, cleaning out the mud and grime still left in her dress with the brushes and soap she'd found. Then she pumped more water, and heated it, then poured it into the tub in the bathroom until it was full. She took off her dress and stepped in, moaning as the warm water met her aching muscles and bones.

She bathed then slept, holding her dress close. Somehow, it still smelt of home.


	9. Chapter 9

Peggy awoke to absolute silence. She laid on her bed, staring at the roof and counting her breaths. Sometimes this made time pass slower, now it made it pass so quickly. She rose and stretched, looking around. Yesterday she hadn't managed to appreciate the scope of this place. It was intricately detailed and lavish, even compared to the Griffith.

She walked back down the stairs, running her hand over the railing. Once she reached the ground floor, she tore it all apart. Peggy pulled all the couches and furniture out from the wall, unstacked and restacked the pile of wood, and went through every chest she could find. When she was finished, she put her hands on her hips and sighed. There was no electricity, no wire connections, no hidden places in the walls. And the walls! They were not wood. It was a truly barbaric place, though elegant.

She went to her pump and got more water. Then she heated it and took another bath. At least it wasn't positively ancient. And the warm water was nice.

When she finished bathing, Peggy put on her dress from the beach. Now that she'd cleaned it off, she could tell that it had once been a cream-ish pink. She decided to wear it anyways.

Peggy walked outside. The two soldiers had swapped during the night.

"Am I allowed to leave?" She asked one of them.

"Yes," came the reply. "In fact, if you wish, we can escort you somewhere. Our Queen wishes you begin initiating yourself into our society. We will escort you where you wish to go."4

Peggy shrugged. "Where should I go?" She asked.

"All Amazons must train to fight the final battle. We also partake in activities such as farming to keep our society alive. There are weekly shifts for such tasks. We can take you to the training ground if you wish."

Peggy nodded and followed the two guards as they brought her once again through the village. This time, she did not feel like an alien. No paid any attention to her. The women bustled about their daily tasks oblivious to the agent, and for the first time since her arrival, Peggy started to feel the weight she had been carrying ease off her shoulders.

Peggy could hear the training ground before she saw them, the clicks of metal and grunts of people all too distinct in the calmness of the village. She was brought to a cliff. Below, on lustrous fields, was an intensive archaic battle arena. Racks of medieval weapons were ar every corner. Stone platforms held straw dummies and punching bags while warriors battled it out in their armour.

She felt a smile creep onto her face.

"Perhaps we should find you some armour," the guard, who up until now had been silent while her partner talked, said.

Peggy shook her head. "No," she said, "I am fine in this." That earned her a disapproving glance from the two Amazons. "You wouldn't believe what I have done in heels," she added.

They exchanged glances. "We have no doubt about your capabilities." They said so in unison, their faces showing no jest. Peggy froze. No one had ever said that to her.

"Thank you," she said softly

"You don't need to thank us for the truth," the one on her left said.

"I never asked your names."

"Iottle." Said the left girl.

"Poethippe," replied the other.

"Nice to be of acquaintance," the agent replied with a smile. She followed Iottle and Phiothippe down the carved sorts to the training grounds. They gave her pieces of armour to help protect her chest and vital organs but made no fuss about her dress. Then they chose out a sword for her. It was smaller and lighter than the others with a visibly blunt edge. "A true training sword," Iottle called it. Phiothippe then told Peggy that she would get better weapons as her mastery over them improved.

Agent Carter spent the next few hours working up a sweat. It was exhilarating! She trained with her two guards, first cautiously as she watched the other, more experienced warriors, but soon her muscles began to ache, telling her that she was alive and she did not want to get hit anymore and little by little, the world outside their training circle began to disappear.

"You're not half bad," Phiothippe said handing her a flask of water. And actual animal stomach flask. The water was warm but Peggy welcomed it, trying not to think about how she was holding animal, most likely horse or cow, intestine. She was not going to puke.

"Thanks," she said as she handed the flask back. Piothippe gave it to Iottle who downed the rest without a second thought. Peggy wiped the sweat from her brow. There was much she needs to learn and the day was still young. Her heart was pounding, her chest was heaving and she did not feel the least bit tired. If anything she had more energy than she had had in years.

She continued to practice her footwork while her two guards interacted with the other Amazons. They spoke in their native ancient Greek, but Peggy assumed they were talking about her from the sideways glances. She pretended to pay them no attention as she worked on her thrusts. Her elbows kept falling too close to her waist midway through her.

She concentrated on the hiss as the sword cut through the air and counted the steps in her head. One, two, three. One, two, three. It was like she was back in the army, training. One, two, three, one, two, three.

One, two, clang. Her sword vibrated against something hard, sending jolts down her arms then spine, right to her feet. Slowly, Peggy raised her gaze then gasped.

"Strong arm," Queen Hippolyta said. She was standing above Peggy, holding her sword against the agent's with one hand. The Amazons bowed to their queen. "Let us see what you are truly made of, Margaret Carter."


	10. Chapter 10

Swimming to Themyscira did not work out so well. Diana coughed up water from her spot on the beach and looked around. Her bag was not far from where she had washed up and nothing around her looked familiar. She groaned and stood, then collected her bag.  
"Miss, are you alright?" Someone called from far away with a clear American accent.  
Diana stared at him, trying to look a bit frazzled. "I was on a boat..." she started. the man jumped the fence between her and was soon by her side, helping her. Diana swallowed the bile that rose in her throat at the thought of him touching her.  
"Do you remember the name?" She shook her head.  
"Do you have any papers?"  
"I think they were destroyed," she lamented.  
"It's alright, I'll help you to a station. My name is Jack Thompson, you'll be fine Miss..."  
"Miss Prince," he concluded with a smile.  
Diana smiled, rolling her eyes back and pretending to faint a slight bit. He caught her and helped her stand back up straight.  
"Thanks," she said quietly, hoping she had not overplayed it.  
Thompson took his jacket off and wrapped it around Diana's wet form as the two of them walked off to a station.

* * *

Peggy stared up at the queen. She removed her sword and stood straight, holding her breath.  
"I let you stay on my island, prove your worth," the queen ordered, her shadow casting over Peggy.  
Peggy blinked. Slowly, she widened her stance and her sword-hand rose. The eyes of a million Amazons burned into her back as she held their queen's icy stare. Peggy breathed slowly as she bowed with her sword, formally accepting the challenge. The Amazons swarmed around them, forming a tight circle. Her heartbeat quickened as the heat of hundreds of bodies made itself known. There was nowhere to go.  
The queen struck first, a simple blow to Peggy's left side that she easily deflected, but it left Peggy on the defence as Hippolyta bombarded her with blow after blow. Peggy soon felt herself tire. The sun was setting over the water with its perfect mirror being reflected back at them. Her limbs were burning as the fight soon got technical and brute strength was thrown out the window. They circled each other in the tight circle, drowning out all noises with the clang of their metal.  
Peggy tried to strike at the queen's left but stumbled as her sword fell through the thin air. Suddenly the pommel of her opponent's weapon struck her back. She cried out as she stumbled head-first into the soft ground. Quick as she could, the agent scrambled back to her feet. Panting, she faced her combatant.  
Hippolyta lowered her sword. "You fight well," she concluded with an approving look. With nothing else, she turned. The Amazons parted and bowed as their queen passed them by and Peggy watched, her limbs shaking with exhaustion and her legs threatening to give out. She wiped the sweat from her brow as she collapsed to the ground, wondering at what had just transpired.


	11. Chapter 11

The station smelled like sweat, bad breath, and an unhealthy level of testosterone. Diana sat quietly in what appeared to be a telephone reception center while Mr. Thompson disappeared into the back. A few minutes later he came back, told her that her paper checked out and gently took her arm and lead her into the back. Diana hid her amazement as a wall behind the front desk opened up, revealing the secret agency behind.

"This way, Miss Prince," her escort said. Diana smiled charmingly as he lead her down the ugly green hallways and into the main workstation. "Please wait here," he said, motioning to a chair just outside a large room packed with desks and bustling, robust men. How they managed to chase down threats she could only imagine.

Her eyes follow the constable as he goes behind the glass and calls two of the men. One of the robust ones and another one with a cruth. Seriously, how did the chase down felons? There had to be someone more competent around, doing all the work for them. Probably, that's what they were doing right now.

Diana held her bag tight, looking around, scanning the building. She picked out the load-bearing walls, mapped out every escape exit. The walls were all so thin. She could get out easily wherever she was close to an outside wall. The fall would not kill her. In fact, it would slow down the constables if they decided to pursue her.

The two agents, without Mr. Thompson, walked out of the room and towards Diana. "Come with us, Miss Prince," they said with the utmost politeness. Diana smiled nicely and let them take her arms and lead her down the hallways into a room. It was empty save for a wooden table and chair. They sat her down on the chair and walked out. It was only when the door closed that Diana realized that she had left her bag by her seat in the hallway. She took a deep breath and prayed they did not pry into her personal possessions.

After what seemed like an eternity spent staring at herself in the mirror, Mr. Thompson came into the room. Diana smiled. Her smile fell as he crossed his arms and strode over to the table. He rested his clenched fists on the desk in a rather intimidating manner. Diana couldn't help but be grateful for her training. She had a feeling the sight of his stern face and clenched fists would be enough for any normal citizen to want to give out all her secrets. Diana contemplated doing just that, but with a fictional story. To convince them she was just some stupid girl an there was no need to further investigate her.

"There have been no reports of shipwrecks," the agent started, "nor have any of the passenger carrying ships failed to respond to our signals. I will ask you one question Miss Prince, then I suggest you think long and hard about your answer and whether or not it is true because if you lie, things are going to get a whole lot more uncomfortable." He paused, letting his message sink in. Diana clenched her own fists under the table, drawing blood. There was nothing they could do to her that she could not return thrice-fold to them. "Now," Thompson said, "where in the world did you get this note?" He waved the paper around that her mother had sent.

"Answer!" He yelled when she stayed silent. "Carter's life could be in danger and if you know where she is, you will tell me now."

"Is she your wife?"

"No, but she's the best bloody agent I've ever had and the fiancee of another agent who's been incompetent since she disappeared. Now tell me where she is or I will pull the information from your throat."

"I highly doubt that's possible," she said, looking to the side of him, trying not to chuckle. Who was he to threaten her?

He made a swipe for her, but two men she had not noticed enter ran um and restrained their chief. They dragged him out of the room, leaving Diana once again alone to her own devices.

Sooner than she had expected, she received a visit from the man with a crutch. His eyes were pink and puffy. He brought up a chair and explained very nicely that he loved Agent Carter -Peggy, he called her with such mournful tone that she was back in the first war with Steve- and that he just wanted to see her safe. If there was anything she knew, he would pay her handsomely.

She tried not to let her face fall.

"If you've ever been in love..." he started.

 _Stop_ , she prayed. _Just stop_. Her ears started the ring, the temperature rose. Smoke filled her lungs, pain coursed through her body. In the distance, a plane exploded.

No.

Diana brought herself back, she opened her eyes. She looked up at the agent, Daniel Sousa he'd called himself.

"Then you know what it feels like," he said with certainty. He wasn't asking anymore, he was begging. "Is there anything you can tell me? Anything at all? Who sent it or how you got it? Just one, then you can leave."

"A bird," Diana said instantly. Then she rose and moved towards the door. She put her hand on the handle, then turned back to the man. "I was sent the letter by pigeon."

She opened the door and was met by two buff men, seemingly from nowhere. One grabbed her while the other plunged a syringe into her neck. Diana swore under her breath as whatever they'd injected into her bloodstream was stronger than what would have been used on a mere mortal and her world plunged into blackness.


	12. Chapter 12

They brought Diana food and water at random intervals. Whether they just forgot Diana was locked in that small room or were just trying to confuse her, she could not tell. Thankfully, the officers had not cuffed her to the table, and she used the free time to exercise in private and examine the room.

The room was functional, save for the large dark mirror in the wall across from the table and chair. She could not yet determine what its purpose was. Had she not mapped out the layout of the building, she would have thought it was an outside wall and the window had been darkened for privacy, but she knew that its opposite face was another room. Perhaps it had been installed backwards, and she was supposed to be staring at a black nothingness while the occupants of the second chamber could examine themselves in a mirror. It was a logical explanation.

She sighed and laid down in a corner, staring up at the wall. Her stomach growled. It had been over twelve hours since a scared little blond boy had scurried in and removed her meal plate. Diana had not seen anyone since. She already knew how many tiles lined the roof and how many floorboards there were. What she did not know was why they were keeping her here and what they were planning on doing with her.

Diana had not seen the constable, Sousa, since she had told him about the bird. He had stormed out in a fury of rage, annoyed because he knew he had gotten to her yet she still persisted to tell him nonsense. A carrier pigeon was more common that what she could have told him. Then they would have locked her up in one of the white rooms Steve had warned her about. Not that it could hold her if she wanted to get out.

Why didn't she? Diana turned on her side, resting her head on her forearm. It's not as if she could get to Themyscira anyways.

She wanted the chief, Thompson, back. She wished someone would just throw her a bone, to say something that would allow her to understand their mindset and how she might go about convincing them to let her go free. She did not want to force her way out, it would cause more harm than good. It would put everyone on high alert, and, if she did not make it to the island, she would have no home in the mortal world.

Peggy awoke with a start.

"Miss Carter!" A concerned voice shrieked, running into her room.

Heaving, her brow soaked with sweat, she sat up in her bed. "I'm alright," she whispered, "it was just a bad dream."/p

The girl shook her head, her juvenile face furrowing. Peggy chuckled. Over the past few weeks, she'd made a friend in one of the younger Amazon, a girl from the twelfth century who called herself Aliena. She was just a marvel, overjoyed with the freedoms of being an Amazon. Aliena, apparently, came to this island upon her death, not an uncommon occurrence as Peggy now knew. Aliena had been a victim of the fighting when her village was pillaged. She grabbed a butcher knife and tried to dismember the horse of a commander who was burning down the houses. The mounted soldier cut her head clean off, apparently, but she had died in battle, carrying a weapon and had been given the option to go to the island or the afterlife.

At first, Queen Hippolyta had limited Peggy's contact to the original greek Amazons, worried that the agent would go rampant if she knew that many brave women came here in death. Only after the queen was assured that Peggy would not make such a fuss and was well aware that she had come here in her mortal body, was she then allowed interacting with the vast majority of the island. They had clicked instantly. There was something about her that Peggy liked.

Aliena crossed the room. She was wearing nothing but a long short and sandals, her short brown hair wild from the wind. The girl, merely sixteen, climbed up onto the bed and sat cross-legged beside her friend and rested her head on the agent's shoulder.

"Fine people don't holler like a banshee," she said.

Peggy chuckled again, shaking her head. "It was just a bad dream."

"Was it prophetic?" Her brown eyes lit up with wild excitement.

"I doubt it."

"But you got to see the Oracle! Shouldn't you be having prophetic dreams?"

"How would I know?" Margaret retorted, making Aliena snort. The agent wrapped her arms around her friend. "You've been here longer, shouldn't you know this stuff?"

"Shut-up." They both snorted. "Seriously though, are you sure you're alright?"

"Yes," Peggy said definitely.

"What were you dreaming about?"

"This thing called Zero Matter."

Aliena stopped her. "I don't understand your science, you can stop there."

"I don't really understand it either, don't worry. It was like, from another dimension or something and it turned people evil and made them crave power. Also, it did this thing where it made whoever touched it but wasn't its host turn cold and freeze everything around it."

"Sounds like the work of the devil," she lamented.

"It was."

"But there's more?" She guessed and Peggy nodded.

"Yes. I was dreaming, well, I guess it doesn't matter. I was dreaming..." she stared off into the distance, remembering times long lost.

"Was it a man?"

"Seriously? You're too young.

"My brother was worried I'd die a spinster because my younger sister was already married. Sixteen is spinsterish."

"I swear, something I think we lived in different worlds."

"We did," the girl replied solemnly, "at least you got a job in your war." Aliena though Peggy had died in her war just as she had done. Peggy had been forbidden from telling the majority of the island about the fact that she had not been selected by the gods for eternal life on the island. Absolutely forbidden. "And your dad didn't try to sell you to some wealthy pig farmer. I only got out of it because he was drafted into service and everyone knew he was too old to live long. What's it like to be in love?"

"Amazing," she replied, hugging Aliena. "It's like the world's brighter and has more purpose. And everything feels good."

"That doesn't mean anything.

Aliena sat with Peggy for a while before eventually getting up to go to her assignment for the day. Peggy still did not have a large part in the work schedule. She was supposed to focus on her training. She sighed. Today she would have to take the day off. She had not lied to Aliena, not exactly. She had dreamed a bit about the Zero Matter, but just a bit. She'd dreamt mostly of the station, that she was imprisoned in the interrogation room and that Thompson had been fuming-when wasn't he fuming?- and that they'd found Steve, only she could not get to him, because she was on Themyscira. It always amazed her how she could dream herself in two places at once, laying on the wooden floor and stuck here in her bed, and still be helpless to do anything.


	13. Chapter 13

It was not the rocking nor the screeching gulls that awoke Diana, but rather the abrupt spray of cool saltwater that hit her face while she slept. She leaped to her feet, suddenly regretting the decision as the floor lurched below her. Looking around, Diana could see nothing but blue. Blue skies, blue water. Her brows furrowed. How had she gotten here? She could positively remember falling to sleep on the cold stone floor of that dimly lit room.

Diana looked around. She was on a small wooden boat with a splitting headache, a bit of provision and absolutely no idea where she was with the sun pounding down on her. She checked her mini sailboat. Little food, no water. She took a breath.

Calm yourself, Diana, she told herself. She just needed to think and to think the little voices had to go away and for those voices to go away she had to be calm. She fell into a cross-legged sitting position and closed her eyes, trying to make the flies and the heat vanish. Muscles tense, she went through her meditation, loosening up her body, freeing her mind, looking for the solution to the problem at hand.

Her boat came to an abrupt stop. Her eyes bolted open. It was dark. She blinked twice, making sure she wasn't hallucinating before carefully raising herself to her feet. Somehow, she'd lost track of time, and somehow, she'd hit land.

Diana smelt the fresh air. It was clean, familiar even. She let out a sigh of satisfaction and pulled the pins out of her glossy black hair and letting the gentle ocean breeze pick up wayward strands. Could she really be home? She could, and she was. Diana stepped out of the boat, taking her bag with her. She then beached it on the grass.

She then took a moment to gather her bearings, admiring the oh so familiar constellations and removing her ghastly shoes. The grass was moist and cool. Diana stifled a laugh.

The island was quiet, too quiet, in fact. She could hear the waves crashing against the rocks and the wind blowing, humming in the untamed grass. It felt good to be back.

Diana tied up her boat the headed towards the city, delighting in all the familiar smells. She was home, and, she prayed, home was awaiting her just over the next few hills. She could see the soft glows of fires in the distance and smell the smoke.

Diana climbed the last him, her lips curling up into a smile when she suddenly stopped. Flames were leaping from the homes, the marketplaces in absolute ruin. Diana's heart raced, her head feeling light as she blinked away her tears slowly slipping onto the ground. She pressed a hand against her mouth to stifle the sobs.

Margaret Carter awoke as if it was any other day. She walked over the bath and heated some water, humming to herself as she did so. She washed face and clothes.

Tutooo tutiiii! She jumped, some water going everywhere as clothes hit the floor. Tutooo tutiiii! The trumpet sounded again, this time adorned with small warning cries of her fellow warriors.

Peggy jumped into action, grabbing the weapons that now adorned her home. She slung a full quiver over her shoulder and grabbed her sword from the fireplace and streamlined for the door.

"Peggy, this way!" Aliena called. She was already half-way up the road, her sword in hand. She had a wicked, lopsided smile upon her juvenile face as she bolted towards the beach, easily keeping pace with her full-grown sisters.

The group stopped at the cliff, overlooking the sea.

"Dear gods," Peggy heard one of the Amazon's say behind her as they looked at the ships coming in.

The agent's jaw dropped. They were SSR ship. SRR ships! They had come at last. But her smile soon turned to a frown as she looked down at Aliena and at the kind faces surrounding them, including Iottle and Poethippe, whom she still trained daily with. Would they engage? Would they die?

The other half of her mind was spinning in the opposite direction. Was Daniel aboard? Did he know about her missing year?

Then, as if she'd been told by the gods themselves (even though she still had doubts about their existence, having never actually met one and all), Peggy came up with a plan. She had to get to the ships before they landed, tell them not to engage with the Amazons, that it would be fatal. Then go home with them.

Queen Hippolyta arrived on a horse, her favourite warriors riding behind her. The Amazons followed their queen with their eyes as she dismounted and strode up to the high ground. "Today," she started, dangling her words in front of people like a toy store dangled candy in front of toddlers, "we are-"

Peggy did not bother to listen to what the queen was saying. She would not let them fight. She knew that Amazons had encountered guns once before, but they knew nothing of the atom bomb. They knew nothing of the new guns, save what she'd been forced to tell, but she still wasn't sure they understood it. She slipped through the crowd, saying a silent apology to Aliena, who, though small, had a lot of pent up anger and fight in her. More than most, Peggy suspected.

She made it to the beach unbeknownst to her fellow sisters in arms and found a small rowboat used for fishing. Tearing a piece of her garment to make a white flag, she then pushed the boat into the water. She wobbled around in it, trying to gain her balance and wishing she'd spent more time fishing instead of training. It wasn't until she was half-way through her first few good strokes that it suddenly dawned on her that she'd been here before, and it would not end well.


	14. Chapter 14

Peggy froze as the waves rocked her back and forth. What should she do? Sousa was on that boat; she could feel it. It made her heart leap in her chest and her palms turned clammy. she imagined what she would do when she finally saw him. first, she would ask about her lost time, then she would embrace him, maybe even kiss him. In front of everyone if she had to. She no longer cared about custom and properness. If being trapped on this island had taught her anything, it was that she was more powerful than she had ever imagined and just how silly she sometimes was, acting as if she did not matter in the slightest.

She pushed her vision from her mind and continued to paddle towards the boat. She tore a white strip of cloth from her dress and hung it from the mast, praying they would not shoot her down. This is going to work, she told herself, repeatedly until she almost believed it.

As she got closer, she pulled out her knife. They needed to see her first. Using the brilliant sun as a signal, she reflected the rays at the ship, trying to catch someone's eye.

Come one! Come on, she pleased as her little raft began to drift close to the moving boa. How embarrassing it would be to get squashed before she could even speak to them. The bells on the boat sounded and Peggy called out, waving her hands above her head. They'd seen her!

A small boat got lowered down and paddled up to her.

"Hi," Peggy said, extending her hand. The man, a stranger seemed not to know her. Peggy paid it no heed as she climbed onto his boat and allowed the stranger to row her to the ship. Then they were hoisted aboard.

"I've captured an Amazon!" the lad exclaimed as he trusts Peggy to the floor.

"No, wait, no!" She cried out. "I'm Agent Carter. Agent Margaret Carter." She stood up and faced the man who seemed to be in charge. "Agent Carter of the S.S.R. I will not put up with this foolishness. If you do not believe me, radio either the New York Headquarters or the Los Angeles one. They will be able to confirm my identity.

The man raised an eyebrow. "Then what are you doing here?"

"Unfortunately, I cannot disclose that information to a subordinate," she snapped. She could not tell him she had no idea, that would be a dumb move. Instead, she had to hang her importance over him. Besides, if this was a mission, she wouldn't have told him anyway.

Peggy straightens her spine and looks him right in his cold blue eyes. "I want you to call off the attack on this island then radio headquarters and let them know I am alive and well."

"Now why would we do that little missy?"

Peggy squinted. She wasn't expecting that. "They did not kidnap me."

"Never thought they did. Take her to the brig and call in the others. We have our proof, now blow this place to bits!"

"No! You can't!" Peggy hollered as two buff men grabbed her and started dragging her towards the stairwell. She took a calming breath and her training took over. She was smaller and faster than her restrainers, and they were underestimating their captive.

She twisted herself, loosening their grip on her. Once the agent was facing the two men, she pulled one over her knee and knocked him out with a swift blow to the back of the head. More men jumped on her; this time not satisfied with pushing her in the general direction of the stairs. They fought for dominance, trying to get her to the ground. Peggy threw punches and kicked out, but even her months of training could not have prepared her for fighting these brutish men. There was no finesse to their style, no tactical strategy. They attacked all at once, from all angles with fists double the size of hers. If she had her sword, then maybe she could have kept them off, but she had left that ashore, not wanting to appear threatening.

She soon gave up; the struggle was futile. Even if she did break out, where would she go? The ship was covered with goons and jumping off the edge was no option. Water from 12 feet up was like cement. She'd go splat, and that would be the end of her.

They threw her into a cell and slammed the door behind. Peggy coughed up blood, her arms trembling as she tried to support herself on the cold metal floor. Her arms gave out and she coughed and sputtered some more, spit and blood getting all over her face.

"Peggy?" a voice in the corner asked.

She coughed again, trying to get out words. Instead, she wailed.

"Peggy!" The speaker shuffled towards her. Cold hands grasped her shoulders and pulled her into a lap. "Oh Peg," the man said with such tenderness.

She opened her eyes as much as could, blinking as they adjusted to the dark. The figure above her was... familiar. "Daniel?" she croaked.

The figure nodded, sobbing. "Oh, Peg I thought I'd lost you," he said quietly, pulling her close to him. She resisted for a moment, trying to sit up. She succeeded slightly, pulling her legs under herself, but still had to lean against his chest.

He kissed her hair and his hands found hers. "Where's your ring?" he asked, feeling her fingers.

"What ring?" She replied.

"Yours, the one I..." he trailed off. "You don't remember?"

"The last thing I remember was kissing you in the Los Angeles headquarters."

"Oh," he said disappointedly. "It's been, it's been almost three years since then, and you've been gone two of them."

"We got engaged in less than a year?" She asked. "How did you convince me of that?"

"I didn't, you asked me." He kissed her hair again.

Peggy snorted, but then her face turned solemn. "You said I've been gone two years? I've barely been on this island one. I don't know where I've been since then."

He held her close, resting his head on her shoulder and gave her neck a faint kiss. "I'm sorry I went on that mission Peg; I should have just retired. If I had, none of this would have ever happened."

"You can't say that." She squeezed his hands and brought one to her lips. She could not deny how overwhelmingly comfortable and safe she felt in his arms.

"Yes, I can. If I had not gone, you would not have come after me. We would be safe somewhere, watching the television, and someone else would be in this stinkin' mess." She could feel his tears through her dress. "I'm so sorry Margaret."

"Daniel," she turned to him. She cupped his face in her hands. "Daniel, look at me. This is not your fault. We got into this together, and we will get out of this together."

"That's the problem, I don't think we can."


	15. Chapter 15

_~2 years ago~_

Peggy was lying on the couch at Daniel's. She checked her watch and sighed. It wasn't even five yet. She'd pulled her shoulder on the last mission and was on injury leave, but she could not remain at the Griffith. I would raise too many questions. First, how had she pulled her shoulder? And secondly, how did a shoulder injury stop her from connecting lines at the telephone company?

Neither of those she could answer honestly. She'd pulled her shoulder doing a rather mundane task, but it seems muscles never heal as strong as they'd once been, just as there are two bullet-sized scars on her. Even the most venerable organ could not heal right if the damage was too great. And she could mover her arm up and down, barely. Her second was still fully operational, but she couldn't fire a gun with the same accuracy nor do any heavy lifting. Thus she was a danger on the job.

It wasn't all that bad though. She got to see Daniel every day. Just the thought sent butterflies riveting through her stomach. He'd be back in just over an hour. She'd already done the harder parts of supper. In a half-hour, she would add in a few more quick-to-cook things then leave it all on keep warm. She hoped he would like it. No, she wanted him to love it. Else all the trouble would not have been worth it.

Peggy walked over to the radio and turned the black knob, filling the room with a static that slowly morphed into noise as she turned the second dial and found a station. No music played, instead, it was Garry, the newsman, going over the weeks' top stories. Peggy sighed and did a half frown. She knew the majority of it anyways. Papers still had a funny way of passing by her desk and since no one seemed to care very much what she did with them, she read them before filing them away.

Agent Carter did not deal with boredom well. While she could sit vigil and watch a door or a suspect for hours on end, past her legs going numb and the sound of her breath becoming overwhelmingly prominent in the often very small spaces she confined herself too, she could not, for the life of God, sit still at home and wait for someone. How do housewives do it? She asked herself as she paced around the room, flexing her arm just enough that she got some relief without irritating her shoulder. In some ways, Peggy was sure those women were stronger than her, or at least more patient.

Daniel was an hour late when Peggy finally heard the bustling noise of someone entering the house. She sprung up, a smile growing naturally to her face. "Daniel," she exclaimed giddily as she practically skipped to the door, ready for him to save her from this ever dark hole of boredom. She helped him with his coat, then ran her hands under his shirt. He was cold.

"How was your day?" She asked, string up into his brown eyes.

"Can't I get in my own house first?" He asked teasingly as he nuzzled her nose with his own.

Peggy crumpled up her face in mock thought. "No," she said after a moment, drawing him closer. "Tell me how your day was."

Daniel chuckled. He wrapped his hand around her waist. "Golly!" Peggy jumped. It must have been cold out for she could feel it through her clothes. It felt like he had just placed ice on her bare skin. Daniel chuckled again. "It was fine. Uneventful, actually."

Peggy nodded and led him into the kitchen. "It might be a bit cold," she warned as she presented him with supper, then took a seat across from him.

"I'm sure it'll be fine." He said as he took a bite. Peggy relaxed as his face did not twist up in surprise, shock, or disgust and suddenly became aware of just how hungry she was. She grabbed her fork. Her cooking was not as bad as she had imagined.

"How is your shoulder, Peg?" He asked as they washed the dishes. Daniel scrubbing and Peggy drying. It was only way Daniel would have it done under his roof, especially because Peggy had gone through the trouble of making supper in the first place and it was not fair to punish her with the task of cleaning up as well.

"Better but-"

"It could be better?"

"It could be perfect," she lamented.

"You'll be back out there in no time." He said reassuringly. Peggy gave him a sad smile. He could not be as sure as he sounded.

When they were finished, Daniel turned the radio back on and that sat, listening to it, with their arms wrapped around each other. Peggy looked up at Daniel and kissed his jawbone before laying her head back down on his chest and feeling it rise and fall as he breathed. He rubbed circles on her arm with his thumb.

The phone rang, breaking the trance. Peggy bolted up to get it, giving Daniel a sly smile as she did so.

"Maybe I should take it, Peg," he said, making her stop inches before the phone. It rang for the second time.

"Yeah, I guess your right," she one should know she was here. It would start uncomfortable rumours and ruin the reputations they had spent years building up. She lowered her head and let Daniel get the phone.

"Hello?" He asked into the receiver mounted on the wall as he held the corded bit to his ear. "Sir! Hi, yes, no you're not disturbing me. Yes, of course, I'd be interested. Agent Carter? Yes, what about her? I see. Okay, bye."

"What?" Peggy demanded just as the conversation ended. He looked at her for a moment, then down at her feet.

"I, um, I'm not supposed to say..." he began.

Peggy could feel her irritation rising. "There's been an incident," Daniel continued. "A... um, strange one. That's how he put it. They want me to investigate."

"Alone?"

"Alone."

"But we do our best work together."

He hugged her. "I know Peg." His hand drifted down to hers and he fingered the engagement ring around her finger. "I know, but I can't pass this up. It would have substantial benefits-"

"For the widow." She interjected.

"We're not married yet."

"You know what I mean Daniel. I don't want to lose you too."

"You won't lose me."

"How can you say that?"

He pulled her closer, his breath tickling her scalp. "I won't let it happen." But he did not sound confided. "But Peg." He pulled back to look her in the eyes. "I take this, we could be done with the SSR. Get married, have a family. If, of course, that's what you want."

"Married yes, and you retired, yes. I'll still work for the SSR. We need some sort of income. Then, maybe, we'll talk about family. But you have to stay with me first. We can make it work without this crazy mystery job."

"We might not-"

"We will."

"Peg, I have to take this." Her face crumpled in confusion as he said this. "I have to. I know you don't fully get it, but I need to be able to provide for you." He wiped a tear from her face. "It's just, it's that silly thing called being a man. I'm not worthy enough for you. You shouldn't have to work with those guys at the office to support me, a crippled war vet."

"You're not-"

"I am." A pause. "Margaret, I have t take this job, but I swear on everything true that we'll get married as soon as it's over and I'll do whatever you want forever."

"Forever?"

"Yes, forever."

"Swear it," she challenged, holding out her pinkie finger. Daniel stiffed a laugh and they locked figures.

"I swear it." He said.

That night Daniel let her have the bed. Whenever Peggy stayed over, she always took the couch, said she felt more comfortable, but the eerie feeling in his stomach wouldn't go away and she felt better knowing that Peggy had a nice place to sleep. But with the mysterious job looming over them, neither of them slept instantly, and when they did drift off, it was fitful and unpleasant.

The next morning was Saturday. They made breakfast in silence and left at the same time. They walked the first few roads together until Daniel had to break off for the SSR and Peggy continued alone to the Griffith, trying to make up explanations for her sudden absence the night before. But she didn't worry too much. Angie always had her back, if Peggy ever needed it, which happened less and less as she found herself gaining more knowledge and control over the situation. She could handle anything, she told herself as she walked. Anything, because Daniel would be with her always.


	16. Chapter 16

Daniel held Peggy in his arms. he was thinking up a plan. There was a way out of this, that he was sure, he just had not thought of this yet. Peggy had fallen asleep sometime earlier. He stroked her hair as he wondered what she knew. If she'd spent all this time on the island, they could figure out what their captors were after. That is, he realized if her memory is right. If Peggy truly did not remember much after Los Angeles, it possible whatever had done this had tampered with her perception of the island. Magic was no longer a crazy alternative.

Peggy stirred. I wonder if she'll still want to marry me after this, he thought, looking down at her outline in the dark and pulling her closer. He wondered if she was smiling as she used to when she fell asleep in his arms listening to the radio. He kissed the top of her head. this would work out,

He could not tell how long he had been sitting there with Peggy in his arms when the boat started to moan. It did that every time it changed direction or speed. Daniel was sure there was a difference between the two moans, but he had yet to figure it out. Peggy squirmed in her sleep and he loosened his grip on her to allow her to get comfortable. The ship moaned again and Daniel flinched as someone interrupted the relative silence by barling down the metal stair.

The stranger bangs on the bars. "Food," he grumbled. "Keep your strength up. You'll need it once we get back to New York." He kicked a bowl of pottage through a small gap in the bars.

Daniel shook Peggy awake as he pulled the bowl closer. He held the spoon to her mouth and told her to eat then kissed her forehead. The ship stopped abruptly, spilling the portable all over them both. Daniel swore. The ship dipped forwards, sending them both tumbling into the bars.

"You okay Peg?" He asked.

"Yeah," she replied quietly.

"Hold onto me," Daniel said, "I'll hold onto the bars in case the ship swerves again."

"Where do you think we are?"

"I have no-"

They both screamed as the door to the brig flew off the hinges in an explosion.

"Agent Carter!" A voice boomed. Peggy held tight to Daniel. The light was streaming in from where the door used to be revealing the buff figure of a woman. Peggy squinted. She didn't know the voice, but then again there weren't many Amazons she could distinguish by voice, yet she couldn't make it out by the figure either nor the armour. The Amazon walked over to the cell and pulled the barred door off.

"Who are you?" She asked, looking down at Daniel.

"Daniel Sousa, who-"

"Right, the fiancee. Up, both of you." The woman took Peggy's arms and helped her to her feet then extended an arm towards Daniel. "Unfortunately, I think we've met before Agent Sousa. Now this way off the ship," she said, ushering them out of the cell.

Daniel held onto to Peggy who was still shaky on her feet as they climbed up the stairs.

"Who's that?" Peggy asked.

"I don't know," replied Daniel. She seemed familiar. She had the same accent that woman had, the one who had the note in her bag. There had also been armour too. What had happened to that? What had happened to her? As he tried to remember, the details her fuzzy. The only thing he knew for certain was that Thompson has said he'd dealt with the situation. Now that he thought of it, that was all that Thompson had said. He had not said how or why or where, just that it had been taken care of.

Daniel raised his hand to shield his eyes from the light. It as about midday. Squinting, he looked around. He couldn't see anyone in their immediate vicinity. His eyes adjusted and he turned back their rescuer. So it was Diana Prince. He was right to think there was so etching up with her. She was dressed in armour that left her tanned arms and legs bare and showed off her neckline. Daniel stepped on his foot, digging his heel into his toe. He was not going to let himself think about it. Was there a whole island of women? Yes, of course, there was, Peggy had said so.

"I know you," Peggy said, slightly delirious, pointing towards Diana. "I saw... I saw," has trailed off.

Diana swore and walked over to them. "What happened to her?"

"They beat her," Daniel replied.

Diana swore again in Greek. She took Peggy out of Daniel's arms and laid her down. "She needs time and water." The Amazon took a flask from her belt. She put an arm under Peggy's head and held the flask to her lips. The water was gone in almost an instant. "We need a plan and some time two things we don't have."


	17. Chapter 17

"We need to turn this boat around," Peggy said when she got her wits about her. Sousa had instantly caved to her leadership when the had regained consciousness after fainting. The Amazon had struggled at first to the new authority, but it soon became clear to her that Daniel trusted Peggy's opinion over hers and that working together seamlessly would be the only way to get off the boat and back to Themyscira.

Peggy fretted over the controls of the ship. She had been trained as a pilot as part of her military training, not for the navy, and so had Sousa. Diana as well had no nautical knowledge and there were so many buttons and levers all on one long board. How could one person operate it all? At least, in the fighter jets, she was used to flying, there had been buttons and levers at all angles so that operating it alone was possible. Also, there had been a visible logic to the placement of the things.

"I think I know what to do," Daniel said, "I haven't had much naval training, but I was stationed on a boat similar to this one for a few months. I might be able to figure it out."

Peggy nodded and left him alone in the cockpit, or whatever it was called on a ship. She walked over to Diana, biting her lip. As much as she was dreading it, Peggy knew that she had to tell Diana of her visions in the Oracle's cave. She just needed to make sure that Daniel was out of earshot. He wasn't going to like what she believed the Amazon would say, and, for the first time in a while, Peggy felt glad that she did not remember the past two years, for knowledge of them would make them harder to leave behind.

The Amazon was standing on the bow, the wind making her long black locks dance and flutter about her face. Diana turned on her heel, like a hawk when it sees prey, to face the agent when she heard Peggy approach.

Peggy broke the topic slowly, watching the other woman's reactions. Peggy was, after all, admitting that she knew that Diana's homeland would be destroyed and that Peggy's interests lined up with them never making it back to Themiscyra. "I... I haven't told Daniel this, he's still trying to turn the boat around. But you said yourself the place was in flames and the Oracle showed me in the rowboat. There may be nothing we can do now." Peggy looked up at Diana, her lower lip quivering. This woman was everything Hippolyta was and more. Terrifying even without a magical lasso and an army of trained super women.

Diana took Peggy's arm and led her to some stairs where they then sat. "I am glad you shared this with me," she said once they were seated. "The Oracle is never wrong, but it seems that she did not give you an outright prediction of how the events must go for either scenario."

"It could have already passed," Peggy said, "and there's nothing we can do-"

"But trap you and your fiancee here."

A chill ran down Peggy's spine at fiancee, the same shiver that had happened when Daniel had asked about the ring. She barely knew him, yet he claimed to know all about her. In her mind, they had shared but one simple kiss, one passionate kiss, but still one singular kiss. In his mind, they had spent two years planning a life out together.

Peggy just nodded

"Ultimately, it seems this is your decision," the Amazon said. "It would seem that I am powerless against your will, the Oracle has foreseen it. But I would like you to consider keeping this vision between us; entertain the idea that there might yet be a way off the island, perhaps with the man in clouds the Oracle cannot see. Themiscyra is, of course, my homeland and it could very well be yours. It will also be better for you than your world has been." This Peggy already knew.

"Then why did you leave?" Peggy asked timidly.

"Because I thought I could save your world from Ares. I was wrong, now I have put mine in jeopardy and I am asking you to save it." They locked gazes, nearly frozen in time.

Peggy's head was spinning. Her mind wandered between Aliena's smiling face and those of all the other young girls who had found refuge on the island. What would happen to them? Would they die, simply cease to exists, or would they be forced back into the world they had escaped? On the other hand, she could practically feel Daniel's hand on her, one pressed into the small of her back and the other near her shoulders, both pulling her closer.

Then another question hit her. Could she live out her life on Themisycra? Could she go back to being underappreciated and undervalued by those around her? Did leaving Daniel behind outway leaving behind every bloody Thompson?

"You need time alone," Diana said before walking away.

No, Peggy thought, I need time, period. Time to rationalize, time to think. There was no time. "Wait!" she called out. Diana turned. "We are going to save Themiscyra."

Diana nodded. "When this is all over Margaret Carter, I will owe you a debt, and should you wish to return home, I will work tirelessly to find a way for you."

Peggy nodded, her face grim and thoughts heavy. The matter was settled, they just needed to know what they were going up against. She walked back to the captain area where Daniel seemed to have figured a few things out.

"Daniel," she started, "I need to ask you about that mission. What exactly happened?"


	18. Chapter 18

The three of them sat down. Daniel pulled at the hem of his shirt, not meeting anyone in the eyes.

"When I left that morning, it was normal," he started. Slowly, placing the events in order before he said to them, making sure his details were accurate, and building up the courage to save them. "I was parachuted into Germany, into the northern forests. I was told that there was something to do with tome HYDRA tech, causing a disturbance and that we needed to get to it before they did."

"But it wasn't this HYDRA tech, was it?" Diana asked.

Daniel shook his head. "I'm not sure what it was, I'd never seen it before." He looks up and meets Peggy in the eyes. "When I finally got to it, I was exhausted and honestly thought I was hallucinating. A temple had erected itself, right in the middle of the forest. The closer I got, the louder a buzzing noise in my head became until I got to the doors and it stopped. At first, I thought it had to do with the tesseract, maybe this had been where they found it. As far as I'd known, it matched all the records."

"What is a tesseract?" Diana asked.

"A blue glowing box that's dangerous," replied Peggy, "and lost forever." The Amazon nodded.

"I got inside," Daniel continued, "fairly easily I must add, and walked for what could have been forever down a maze. Eventually, I started to see a light, so a followed it, and I found a sword."

"A sword?" Peggy asked.

Daniel nodded. "I left the maze, I'd marked the path I'd taken, and went to my extraction point with the sword." He turned to Peggy. "Do you remember how strange the chief had been acting?" Peggy shook her head. "Right, well, it only got worse when I got back. He kept on obsessing over it, carrying it around everywhere, saying we'd be victorious now that we had it."

"What did it look like?" Diana asked. Daniel described it to her. "The sword of Peleus," she said. "It guarantees that whoever has it will be victorious in their hunt or battle."

"Then it's a good thing we had and not HYDRA," said Peggy. Daniel nodded.

"But it didn't get better," suggested Diana, implying for Daniel to continue.

"No, it didn't. He started going on about how the gods would finally see his ways. I overheard him one day in his office when he'd thought everyone had left talking to the sword. I never told you, Peggy, because I didn't want to worry you when you were injured and I was hoping whatever it was would be fixed when you got back but I was wrong. I'm so sorry. When you came back and..." he trailed off, a tear sliding down his face. "It's all my fault, I should have done something."

"There was nothing you could do," Diana said. "This is my fault. I thought I had defeated Ares, but clearly, I did not. He must have taken over the body of your chief, that's how he knew how to contain me for so long." They sat in silence.

"What happened next?" Peggy asked quietly.

Daniel looked back to the ground. "He... he said he had a mission for you, and you were, of course, ready to take it. And he sent you off, and you never came back. He searched, practically tore up every brick in America, or so he said, but I don't think he was looking at all."

"He was," Diana said, "but not where you'd think. He wanted to wipe out the Amazons, but he can't hunt them. And he's not in battle with them. But he could hunt her, he must have known Mother would take her in; because she didn't die in battle she's not under the same protection from the sword like the rest of the amazons." Peggy tried to ignore the fact that Diana had said Mother. Somehow, after everything she's seen at the island, she resented Diana for abandoning them. "Now we know how to stop him."

"How, he can't lose a battle?"

"No, but we can steal the sword. Then we can't lose."

"And how will we do that?"

"Well, we can get this ship moving for starts." They chuckled. Just for a moment, suddenly realized the situation for what it was, stealing an ancient sword from a god. Then they got to work.


	19. Chapter 19

Diana steered the boat right into the island, totalling it and bringing them as close to the island as they could get. There were no rowboats on the ship. They struggled to land, following the Amazon's lead.

"Gods," Diana muttered as she saw the rest of the island. It was utterly desolate. And quiet. It had never been so quiet. There had always been birds chirping or the sound of the howling wind trying to drown out the clanks of metal and calls of the battle horn. Now it felt like someone had stopped time and set the place alight.

Where were the rest of the Amazons? Where was anything for the matter? It seemed as if Themyscira had become a perfectly normal, uninhabited island.

"Where do we start?" Peggy asked.

"The cave," Diana replied within seconds. "We need to go to the cave," she continued in a softer, more reassuring tone. Then she took a deep breath. "there's more to this than meet's the eye."

Peggy noded while Daniel gave her a confused stare. "What cave?"

"The prophecy one," Peggy replied.

"Oh."

"Oh indeed," agreed Diana.

They then gathered what little provisions they had and made their way across the planes towards the cave. As the sun began to fall, they were still half day's walk from their destination. The grass made a cold, but oddly bearable mattress. Diana refused to let them build a fire, claiming the light might bring as much undesired attention as it would warmth, forcing the threesome to sleep in close quarters.

Peggy laid awake, still, but restless in the middle of the group. Daniel was nestled close to her, with a light arm across her stomach. Diana's back was to her on the other side. Peggy breathed quietly, counting the stars, trying to quell her mind. She found herself travelling back to her desk coved with papers that need filling. Would she never see it again? And what would Daniel do, here, on an island meant for women alone? It was strange, she realized, how much she wished Thompson was here, even if it was just to yell at her. At least that would feel familiar. It was something she could depend on; predict even. She sighed and closed her eyes. Nothing was worth letting an island full of people die. If anyone had taught her anything, Steve had taught her that. Somehow, though if you asked she could never tell you, Peggy slipped off into a dreamless sleep.

"Up!" Peggy was pushed harshly over onto her stomach. "It's first light," the same voice said, "up now, both of you."

Peggy groaned and pulled herself to her feet. Diana was up and glaring at her. "Now," the Amazon huffed.

"Okay, okay," Peggy mumbled, drawing herself to her feet. She raised her arms above her head and stretched like a cat. She offered Daniel and hand up and found him his cane before they started on their trek again.

"I didn't think it would be so... so... desolate," Daniel said after the first few miles. He was sweating, they all were, but he was also falling behind, his leg forcing him to take smaller strides than the women making him work harder to keep up.

"We should stop," Diana decided, halting on the spot. Peggy nearly collided with her.

The warrior pulled out a flask and handed it to Daniel. He took a sip, though Peggy suspected there had been very little water in his "sip" before he handed it to her.

"You should go on without me," Daniel finally said.

"No!" The words burst right out of Peggy's mouth. She drew back, overwhelmed by her emotion, her cheeks starting to bun red. She lowered her head. "I mean, we might need you, and, and you can't just stay here," she shuddered, searching for the right words.

"He is right," Diana agreed. "We would travel faster without him."

"But we can't just leave him here," Peggy fought.

Dianna paused for a moment. "You are right. You both are." She turned to Daniel, "You will slow us down if we continue, but you cannot stay here. We do not know what is or is not out there. Themyscira is no place for men, now or before."

"So what do we do?" he asked.

Diana looked at Peggy, who just shook her head and sat down in defeat. She pulled at the grass in frustration.

"I'll be alright," Daniel insisted.

"No you won't," Diana finalized. "Whoever is here think you are a liability. They had you locked up as well."

Peggy ran her hand through her tangled greasy hair. "What if I went on?"

"Peggy..." Daniel started.

"No, I'm serious. I know where we are going." I think, but she didn't say that. "Diana can get you to safety then join me, she knows this island better than either of us."

"I'm not leaving you."

"You did just offer to stay here and let the two of us go on by ourselves," Diana interjected.

"I'm not leaving you alone," Daniel clarified.

Peggy lid her face in her hands, trying to resist the simultaneous urge to laugh and fall hopelessly to the ground and give up.

"I'll be fine," she said after a few minutes passed in silence. "Besides, if anyone were around, we would have seen them or they us. I'm going on alone. It's our best chance for us all to get out of here."

"But-"

"No. I can do this. I've done stuff like this before, and I can do it again." She turned to Diana. 'Keep him safe for me, and come if you can."

Diana nodded. "Goodspeed, Peggy."


	20. Chapter 20

Peggy moved faster by herself. After she left, she resisted the temptation to look back until she knew she wouldn't see anyone in the distance. Diana has assured her she would bring Daniel to a safe place and then come for her so she wouldn't be alone. Peggy wondered if that would make a difference.

Something was happening on the island. It was stirring. The air was less fresh; the water looking less and less like a calm baby blue mirror and more and more like the wild grey ocean. The grass turned to moss as she headed towards the cave and white stones became grey and sun-bleached. The wind grew colder and smelled of salt. And still, there were no signs of life other than herself.

After what she could only assume to be hours, she stopped when her stomach grumbled in displeasure. Peggy pulled out the meagre rations Diana had given her. It should be enough to get her to the cave, at least, that's what she thought. It did not matter, she had to keep walking.

She eventually found herself stumbling upon the entrance of the cave. Her heart dropped. Staring into the dark cave, save for an eerie blue shadow of glimmer, she knew there was no going back. She was going to save Themiscyra and stay here forever.

Diana spent the next day getting Daniel to a beach. If she could get him somewhere safe, she could go after the agent. The Amazon didn't doubt the agent's ability, but the gods were a different threat. There were water and shelter. She'd go hunting in the morning and then he'd have something to eat. Maybe she could stick him on a boat. The island barrier was open now; it would be easier to cross. There wasn't anything around. Then she could go help the agent. She looked back down at Daniel. He would never agree. He was barely conscious though, could he really object?

She looked around. There was no way she could guarantee he would get back, but he could not stay on the island once this was over. Her mother would not allow it. Could Hippolyta send him back? It was not outside the realm of possibility.

The island shook. Diana knew the feeling well. The gods had come. There was a glowing light in the distance. The agent had made it. And Diana was now out of time.

Peggy lay on the ground, a sword in her unclenched hand. She was staring ap at the stars. The agent could not say how she had gotten here, only that she felt as if the were floating and sinking simultaneously. She knew the feeling. She had failed.

Blood soaked her clothes and it was torn by the rocks where she had fallen and been dragged deeper into the cave. There were bullet holes near her stomach, bleeding out on the ground. Her vision centered and the stars disappeared, revealing the nothingness that was above her.

Thompson had shot her. It made her blood boil. Her hands clenched around the sword as if she could strike him down just by thinking about it. He'd had a dazed expression on his face, almost like he wasn't himself.

Spot started to appear in her vision. Her mind began to spiral. _No one leaves the island…_ ran through her brain as she fell back onto her past months here. She thought about Aliena. Aliena would be so mad at her.

Peggy flinched, taking a large deep breath. Her head was no longer fuzzy. She felt odd. There was a voice in the back of her head. _You are an Amazon now_. She smiled. It was the Queen.

The fighting was happening somewhere deeper in the cave. The sound of metal clanging echoed through the chambers mixing with the cried of warriors. Her heart was pounding in her ears. Peggy picked up her sword and started running towards the fight. She started this mess; she would solve it. She ran down the tunnel, her breaths falling into the rhythm of her shoes against the stone.

Peggy made it to the battle site. Her eyes darted across the field, her mind coming up with all the drills and formations she'd done in training. No one noticed as she slipped into the battlefield, falling into line with the Amazons closest to her. She was surveying the field as ran across the field. It was easy to see who she was fighting; however, she had no idea who the head was.

She heard the Queen call them back to her. She filed into formation behind a wall of shields, then moved forwards with the battalion, hands gripping her sword. Her mind was clear, focused. It was as if she had been training her entire life for this.


	21. Chapter 21

Diana watched the horizon. She could feel the island in her bones. It still talked to her, in the way it had as she had been growing up; almost a relief after the constant feeling of loss she'd had since Steve had died. It was calling to her now, to go to the fight and it sensed the presence of the intruders. It was asking her to fight, to save it. Her bones were tingling.

The light in the distance began to glow and hum. Diana jumped over Daniel as it blasted through the sky in a blinding heatwave.

"Are you alright?" she asked the agent. He looked stunned, but he nodded. She looked him in the eyes. "I'm getting you out of here. Right now." He nodded again, looking around. "Agent Carter will be fine," she assured him. She did not tell him how. She did not tell him that she felt the Agent join the ranks of the Amazons and given a second life. Dianna had not told him a lie, but she had allowed him to believe one. Humans always believed that something good would happen, that things, no matter how bleak, would work out their way. It rarely did. They just forgot about those times and focused on when it did, convinced they had luck on their side.

"We are going to go now," she decided, hauling him up.

"Where?" he asked.

"The beach," she muttered. "We will figure it out afterwards." Diana was suddenly annoyed. She did not like being stuck here while her sisters were fighting, possibly dying so far away. Perhaps it was the air, so fresh and as sharp as her blade, that was bringing everything back. The feeling of swinging the sword through the air and the sudden jolt as it collided with something, the days spent training until she felt like they could barely breathe and going to bed with her muscles aching so much they'd keep her awake. And then she could go longer, faster, further before getting tired. She would go to bed later and later with less pain and wake up ion the morning with no energy. Her mother had decided that if Diana was going to insist on being trained, Diana would be trained harder than any warrior. And she was here. She had run away.

She could do it again. And keep her promise to the agent. But she wanted to fight. She wanted it in her bones.

Diana was pretty sure Daniel could feel it too as they dragged themselves to the beach. Diana left him in the shade while she went to the boathouse. She picked out a sturdy boat that could easily be used by a child. She wasn't entirely sure how he would fare once he made it past the barrier, but she knew that there would be ships out there and someone would save him.

Diana hauled one out of the house and dragged it across the beach. "Get in," she said, offering him a hand up.

He shook his head.

"Look, just get in, I'll go after Margaret after, okay?"

He looked unsure. "I shouldn't leave her here," he protested.

"She doesn't need your help," Diana said, "not while you are in this state. I promised I would keep you safe. There are enough supplies for over a week and you can get someplace safe." She did not add and then Peggy will find you, because she knew it would not happen now. She wanted him gone before he realized.

The island rumbled again, throwing her off balance against the boat. She lammed into it with enough force to leave a bruise she knew would not go away anytime soon.

"What was that?" Daniel asked from his crouched position.

"I have no clue," Diana said. "But something is happening."

"Oh Peg..." he muttered, shaking his head. Diana felt sorry for him.

There was another earthquake and then a terrible noise. Diana and Daniel ducked, using the boat for protection as one of the mountains in the distance exploded, rocked shooting through the air like missiles in all directions. She threw Daniel and covered him with her body as the sky pelted her with fist-sized rocks. She raised her hand over her head, trying no to cry out as the sharp jagged edges struck her.

It was over in a few second but it felt like hours. A cry rose in the distance, at first intractable, but soon becoming clear voice, calling out to run. Male voices. It was a stampede as the island seemed to shift, bringing them closer to the shore. Diana and Daniel felt over to some rocks and watched as they ran to the boats.

Cries of "Let's get out of here!" "What are we doing here?" and "Retreat!" filling the air.

"It's over," she whispered to Daniel. They were pressed together in a small nook in the cliff, hidden behind some fallen rocks. She could feel him breathing and was pretty sure he could feel her accelerated breath. They leaned against each other, watching as people ran, swam, and panicked.

A light began to glow in the distance that seemed to lead them over the sea and away from Themiscyra. When they were all gone it began to manifest into the form of a woman with a familiar face.

"Peggy?" A groggy Daniel said as the forme came closer, the edges getting less fuzzy.

Peggy, in a stainless white dress, reached out a hand to his face and crouched down to be at their level. She was wearing armour underneath the dress and had a sword strapped to her hip.

"I remember all of it," Peggy said quietly.

Diana felt her heart dropped. She knew what was coming next.

"We had a wonderful life together," the agent continued.

Daniel kissed her. Diana looked away, pinned between them and the rock as she was. Peggy kissed him back, pulling him closer for what she knew would be the last time. When they broke apart, she rested her head against his, not fighting the tears that were welling up in her eyes.

"You got lost," she continued, "on that mission I asked you not to go on," the agent chocked, "and I went after you. But I found out something I never should have." She looked deep into his eyes. "I just should have stayed home, Daniel, I'm so sorry."

She pulled away closing her eyes and letting out a small sob. Daniel pulled her close again and started whispering to her. "It's okay," he told her, "we'll leave the island and we'll forget all this."

"No, Daniel," Peggy said, shaking her head. "I can't. I can't leave. That was the price, the price for saving you. I can't leave here."

"What?" Daniel asked.

"The gods wanted you because you discovered them and I asked them not to take you. I asked them to take me instead. And they sent me here." She was trembling against him. "They took my memory as a kindness, but then I brought all this," she motioned to the battleground around them, "with me. I'm so sorry Daniel."

"That can't be right, there has to be a way."

"No, there isn't. We could have left back there on the boat, they hadn't claimed me properly yet. Now they have." Her hands flew to his cheeks in a sudden desperation. "You can go though. You can still leave."

He took her hands in his and placed them next to his heart. "I will not leave you here."

"You have to," Peggy argued. "You cannot stay here. No one will allow it. You can go back, live a happy life. Have everything you wanted, everything I couldn- would not want to give you. I will be happy here. I have been. We've come to the crossroads and neither of us can follow the other."

"I know we weren't perfect Peg, but we can still fix it."

She shook her head. "Not now. I cannot leave the island no matter what I want. I'm tied to it now." She willed him to understand. She did not want to say it. I'm gone. I've died, I was careless. I'm immortal. I'm a warrior. I will always be a warrior. I will never be your wife.

She kissed him again. "You can still have an amazing life. One with everything you've ever wanted."

"All I want is you."

"That's not true." It can't be true. "Daniel, do this for me, please. I want to know you will live your life."

"What about you?"

"I will be happy here, Daniel." She did not have to fake the smile. "I will miss you, and you I. That is inevitable, but I can be happy here. I just need to know that you will be okay." Please tell me you will be okay, please.

"I don't know how. Not without you"

She shook her head. "promise me you will find a way."

He kissed her hands and stared into her brown eyes. "I- I promise you Peg, but you must promise me: if there's a way, any way ever, will you come for me? Even if I'm old?"

The woman who was an Agent no more nodded. "I will."

They smiled at each other. Peggy's hand went to his face as she called upon the island to heal him, make him steady for the way home. His cuts healed over, his bruises faded. She helped him to his feet and with Diana's help walked him to a boat.

"This will take you home, Daniel." She placed something cold in his hand. He opened it. It was her engagement ring. "I want you to keep it," she said, "because you will find someone else. I once thought it would never happen when I lost Steve, but then I found you."

He smiled at her with a sad, forlorn look. He took out something from his trousers. It was a photograph of the two of them. "I want you to remember us forever."

"I will," Peggy said. They stared at each other, silently wishing all the things they ever wanted to say could be expressed in a few looks. The boat began to float away from the island. Diana walked up to Peggy and took her hand.

"We are sister now," the Princess said, "I will look after you."

Another hand clasped onto Peggy's free hand and she looked around to see Aliena, her youthful face staring up at her. She was covered in cuts that were almost healed. Peggy took a deep breath and squeezed both their hands and Daniel rowed his boat passed the border and out of sight.

~70 years later~

Daniel could feel himself slipping away. He was surrounded by his grandchildren, holding his great-great-granddaughter who was sleeping quietly. His great-grandson had called her Peggy after his mother. It was now a Sousa family name.

He felt his eyelids closing and someone called out for him. "Dad?" but he was gone.

A familiar figure was waiting for him. She had her brown hair in a 50s bob and wore a scandalous armour-dress he had only ever seen once before. For the first time since he'd been injured in the war, he ran. He ran towards the figure and embraced her, lifting her into the air.

"Peggy," he breathed quietly.

She squeezed him with her tanned warrior arms, breathing him in. "I do have to go back, and deliver you to Hades sometime," she said at last, "but until then, we have, well, some form of forever." She kissed his cheek.

"I'll take it." He said into her hair.

"I want you to tell me everything. Were you happy?"

He looked her in the eyes. "Yes," he replied. "I thought I never would be, but you were right."

She smiled. "Me too. I killed a hydra. I've always wanted to kill a dragon. A hydra was better."

He snorted. It was such a Peggy thing to say. There was so much to talk about. And they had some form of forever until he had to go.

THE END


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